State Sen. Jen Metzger has introduced a bill to allow voting by mail in New York amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Metzger, D-Rosendale, said the bill (S8120) would allow state residents "to cast their June 2020 ballots by mail should the public health crisis continue."

June 23 is New York state's primary day for all offices other than president.

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“It is just common sense to prepare now if the current public health emergency extends to the June primary and beyond," Metzger said in a prepared statement. "We need to make sure we have a backup plan in place that protects the health and safety of election workers and voters without sacrificing participation in these important elections."

The bill, which currently is in committee, "directs the state Board of Elections to create a plan to permit voting by mail in the event of a natural disaster or state of emergency," a summary of the legislation reads.

Metzger's office said the bill "calls attention to the cumbersome nature of the state's current absentee ballot system, in which voters must first apply to the Board of Elections in order to receive a ballot in the mail."

“By contrast," the senator's office said, "in a vote-by-mail system, all eligible voters automatically receive a ballot in the mail without procedural hurdles, and [would be able to] vote by mailing their ballot to the Board of Elections...."

Vote-by-mail systems currently exist in Colorado, Oregon and Washington for all elections, Metzger's office said.

Metzger’s bill would require the state Board of Elections to have a vote-by-mail plan in place by May 1 to allow sufficient time for its implementation for the June 2020 primaries.

In a related matter, the New York State Elections Commissioners’ Association is calling for immediate action by politicians to protect the electoral process during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are facing critical shortages of inspectors and polling places due to the ongoing public health crisis,” the association said in a press release. “Over the next week, BOEs (boards of election) will find it almost impossible to meet mission-critical deadlines for testing machines and preparing ballots because of staff shortages due to the ongoing stay-at-home order.”

The association is asking Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature to consider the following actions:

• Postpone New York's Democratic presidential primary from April 28 to June 23.

• Amend the state election law to allow for absentee balloting during all times of declared states of emergency due to a pandemic.

• Give wide latitude to local boards of elections to consolidate polling places and election districts to best operate an election.

“Acting on these items will buy us precious time and save our host counties significant ... resources while also preserving the rights of voters and safety and health of election workers,” the association said in its press release.